The present invention relates to food products and to methods for their preparation. More particularly, the present invention is directed towards dried aerated marshmallow confections and to their methods of preparation.
Dried marshmallow, especially in the form of bits are well known aerated confection items and are particularly useful as a component of Ready-To-Eat (xe2x80x9cRTExe2x80x9d) cereals, especially those for children. Marshmallows are made by aerating a sugar syrup, usually including sucrose and corn syrup, that contains a foam structuring agent such as gelatin.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,380 (issued Oct. 20, 1986 entitled xe2x80x9cMulticolor Confection Extrusion Systemxe2x80x9d) discloses apparatus and methods useful in the preparation of soft marshmallow confectionery pieces (see, equivalently U.S. Pat. No. 5,019,404 issued Feb. 28, 1990). Also known are methods for drying the marshmallow confection into dried pieces. (See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,785,551 issued Nov. 22, 1988 to Meyer entitled xe2x80x9cMethod For Drying Confection Pieces.xe2x80x9d) Various dried particular shapes are also known (see, for example, D. 376,039 issued Dec. 3, 1996 entitled xe2x80x9cFood Productxe2x80x9d showing a two-color design). (Each of these are incorporated herein by reference.)
An important feature of an RTE cereal or component thereof, such as marshmallow bits, is having a long xe2x80x9cbowl life,xe2x80x9d i.e., how long the item remains crisp after the addition of milk, especially cold milk. Another important feature of dried marshmallow bits is texture. While a firm, crisp, frangible texture is desirable, an excessively hard texture is undesirable especially in components used as additives to children""s RTE cereals.
The bowl life of dried marshmallow bits can be influenced by formulation. Dried marshmallows that contain more corn syrup and less sucrose desirably tend to have longer bowl lives. Also, corn syrup is generally less expensive than sucrose. Unfortunately, longer bowl life and cost reduction benefits achieved by the addition of corn syrup are at the cost of texture. Increasing corn syrup levels tend to make the dried pieces harder. Adjustments to the formulation to provide acceptably low hardness values unfortunately provide dried marshmallows exhibiting unacceptably short bowl life.
The present invention provides an improvement in the preparation of dried marshmallow bits. The improvement resides in controlling the rate of cooling of dried marshmallow bits. The present methods provide dried marshmallow bits that exhibit improvements in their bowl life. Notwithstanding the improved bowl life, the marshmallow bits also surprisingly exhibit acceptable texture. By virtue of providing herein a physical processing method that benefits bowl life, additional flexibility can be employed with the formulation. Thus, a low cost, good texture dried marshmallow aerated confection, especially in bit form, can be obtained which nonetheless exhibits improved bowl life.
In its method of preparation aspect, the present invention resides in methods of cooling dried aerated confectionery pieces to increase bowl life, comprising the steps of:
A. cooling a hot dried aerated confectionery piece in a soft plastic state having (1) a moisture content of less than 3.5% by weight, (2) an initial temperature of at least 80xc2x0 C., and (3) a glass transition temperature (xe2x80x9cTgxe2x80x9d) of at least 20xc2x0 C., to a temperature within a tempering temperature range, said tempering temperature range being Tg+5xc2x0 C. to about Tg+30xc2x0 C. to form a partially cooled, dried aerated confectionery piece;
B. maintaining the cooled dried marshmallow piece within the tempering temperature range for about 1 to 15 minutes to form a tempered partially cooled, dried marshmallow piece; and
C. further cooling the tempered partially cooled, dried marshmallow piece to below its Tg to form a cooled, dried marshmallow piece in solid form that exhibits an increased bowl life.
In its product aspect, the present invention resides in products prepared by the present cooling methods. The articles are further characterized by
a density ranging from about 0.10 to 0.4 g/cc and comprising:
about 50% to 95% of a saccharide component,
about 1 to 5% moisture, and
about 1 to 30% of a foam structuring agent.
The confections can have a single color or have a plurality or even multiplicity of colors.